If the New York Giants are still undecided about who to select third overall in the 2025 NFL draft, one of the leading candidates, Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter, has had his say and may have made up their minds for them.
The good news is Carter, the most versatile and naturally gifted pass-rusher in this class, wants to be a Giant. He made as much clear when asked which team he has the “best feeling about” on the eve of the draft.
Carter simply answered, “Definitely New York right now,” per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos. He thinks his pre-draft meetings with Big Blue “went well, definitely got a good feeling with them.”
Abdul Carter is asked which team he has the best feeling about ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft: “Definitely New York right now”
He adds he will bring “everything” to the table in the NFL
A bolder message came from Carter when he spoke with NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky. The 21-year-old told Novozinsky about his excitement at the prospect of joining up with Giants’ edge-rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
As Carter put it, “Yeah, it’ll be a blessing to play with those guys. I’m gonna come compete and we’ll form the best pass rush in the league.”
The chance to add Carter to an already solid front seven and impressive pass rush may be too good for the Giants to ignore in Round 1. They have other needs, like wide receiver, offensive line and cornerback, as well as the ongoing will they, won’t they draft a quarterback saga, but Carter offers close to guaranteed impact now.
His third and final message to the Giants may be the strongest of all. At least in the minds of diehard fans.
Abdul Carter Sends Message to Giants About NFC East Rivals
Playing his college football at Penn State, as a native of Philadelphia, puts Carter’s pro loyalties firmly with the Giants bitterest rivals from the NFC East. Carter showed his allegiance when cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s Super Bowl, but he’s made it clear he’ll be all in if he has to suit up for the Giants once his own NFL career begins.
Carter was emphatic that “Once I go to New York, I’m all New York – I’m going to have to leave Philly behind,” per Giants Videos.
Abdul Carter, born and raised in Philadelphia, on his Pennsylvania roots:
“Once I go to New York, I’m all New York – I’m going to have to leave Philly behind”
If ever a player was saying all of the right things, all the things the Giants want to hear, Carter is doing just that. He’s paving the way for under-pressure general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to avoid any difference of opinion about a QB and simply stick to making what would be one of the few slam dunk picks in this draft.
Choosing Carter would restore one of the staples of championship success the Giants haven’t enjoyed in over a decade.
Abdul Carter Makes Most Sense for Giants in Draft
There’s a reason Carter has become the go-to pick for the Giants in many mock drafts. He makes the most sense, despite the G-Men already being blessed in the pass rush department.
Burns and Thibodeaux are disruptive on the edges, even if the latter has room to get better. Meanwhile, All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II is arguably the premier interior pressure specialist in today’s game.
Putting Carter into this group may look like a luxury, but loading up on blue-chip pass-rushers has paid off for the Giants in the past. Like when Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka helped the 2007 team upset the then-unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl. Or when Jason Pierre-Paul joined Tuck, Umenyiora and Kiwanuka to pummel Tom Brady and the Pats again four years later.
Lawrence Tynes was the kicker for both of those teams, and wants to see the Giants flood the field with dynamic edge-rushers again. Tynes posted “Activate NASCAR package in 2025!”
Activate NASCAR package in 2025!
Putting something similar onto the field after Carter’s arrival can do as much to accelerate the Giants’ latest rebuild as drafting a quarterback.
